Graduation Day

Graduation Day, a photo by bichonphoto on Flickr.

After my nieces high school graduation ceremony, we had to walk past the Landmark Center, in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. This is the city government building, and there was a fantastic sunset behind it. Since this is in the northern latitudes, you can see that it stays light out later from the clock on the tower. I like the women in their gowns by the fountain and the movement of the graduate in the foreground. This photo was taken with the TrueHDR app and adjusted in the Mill Colour app.

Don CeSar

This is the Don CeSar, the infamous "Pink Lady," located in St. Petersburg Beach. Photo was taken with iPhone and process in Mill Colour app to make the colors pop. It was known as Florida’s Pink Castle or Pink Palace when it opened back in 1928. It has Mediterranean and Moorish architectural motifs, a distinctive coral pink facade, and a tropical setting, which all stand out against the blue Floridian sky. Originally named after Don Ce-Sar in Vincent Wallace’s light opera Maritana, the Don (as it is locally known) was built by Thomas Rowe. It has marble fountains, lofty ceilings, rich furnishings, and gorgeous views of the Gulf of Mexico or Boca Ciega Bay. The Don served as a hospital during World War II and later a Veterans Administration office. By the late 1960s the building was abandoned. It was purchased, restored and reopened in 1973. Now a full-service resort, the Don CeSar offers easy access to the beach, golf shuttles, two pools, a full-service fitness center and spa, children’s activities, daily sailing and wave-running clinics. It also has several top notch restaurants, including "Maritana." 

This HDR photo was taken with the  Nikon D7000 and 55-200 mm lens. A normal exposure was combined with an over and under exposed version and then tone mapped in Photomatix Pro.